How upfront are you at interviews about your availability?

[Badbudgeter]

I have 2 jobs one I work 3 long days (10-12 hours a day) on a temp contract 2 months to go. Other one is a permanent contract I work school hours 2 days a week . This works well for me as I share custody with my ex and on my short days I do after school activities.

Just starting to check around for other work and found a job that looks good on paper but they won’t tell me the hours as will discuss them at initial phone interview. I think I’ve previously gone into interviews with a flexible attitude but later backtracked due to childcare for example I start at 9:00 rather than 8:30 as the school stopped the breakfast club.

I suppose what I’m asking is would it put you off a candidate if they said they couldn’t start before 9 and would work 3 long days from a choice of four. It’s an industry that typically does long days.

I’m always honest about availability as soon as possible in the process. No point going through rounds of interviews for a job I may not be able to take if the hours don’t suit - would also irritate me as an interviewer/hiring manager to waste time if someone knew they had restrictions.

Always was honest in interviews. I'm a lone parent so I had no choice. DS is older teen now so not an issue but I had to work around childcare until he was around 12.

They need to be absolutely transparent from word go. I would press them more or less as soon as you’ve got the pleasantries out of the way because there’s no point in you sitting there listening to an hour of nonsense if you can never take the job and vice versa. But make them tell you what they want, rather than you, telling them what you can do.

It’s a bit like not advertising the salary I’m always quite suspicious of any organisation won’t tell you that before they meet you.

I think I’ve just never had so many restrictions before as ideally I just want to replace one 3 day 35 hour contract job with another. Will lay it on the line at my interview on Monday.

No honestly flip it on them. Get them to tell you what they want and the reason for that is because if they tell you what they need and you just say I can’t do that but i can do this you might find that there’s a fair amount of flexibility available.

You have to remember right now they are the ones with the headache and the problem you’ve got a job. They have a vacancy. Who’s got the bigger headache ?

Yes that annoyed me. They have multiple similar roles available and I asked what the hours of each would be by email when setting up the initial interview. They said we could discuss hours by phone so I’m unsure whether that means we will be flexible for the right candidate or we have a random rota system and would like you to be available 24/7 but will schmooze you first.

You can effectively be sacked without recourse in the first two years of employment. So hiding something material such as availability every day seems asking for potential trouble.

I would say that is exactly their plan of action to try and sell you the job at first and then you’re on the hook. That’s why I would get them to lay their cards on the table.

Well, that’s not strictly true either. There is a process that must be followed.

They definitely schmoozed me, the hours are fine but they do a hideous 4 on 4 off rota which is not conducive with life/ planning/ childcare or having a second job.

I dare say it works for some people who only have flexible commitments but it really narrows your pool of applicants.